Real causes of homeless crisis

There is a great deal of controversy over the current homeless crisis in Olympia. Some blame free-market economics going back to the Reagan era and the resulting evils of greedy capitalism.

However, it’s worth noting that in our country, unemployment currently stands at about 3.5 percent with African-American and Latino unemployment at record lows. Folks, this is not the Great Depression.

Here are the facts. The vast majority of people living in these tent camps are chronic alcoholics and/ or drug addicts, mostly heroin or methamphetamine. Unless they find some meaningful recovery, their condition will not change.

Their condition is not the Olympia City Council’s fault and it is certainly not the fault of the Olympia police. However, the City Council is responsible for governance and their policies have created a magnet that draws homeless drug addicts and chronic alcoholics to our city.

So the real question is this: Are the policies currently being established by the Olympia City Council helping these people to recovery or are they simply enabling them to live in their misery and squalor?

I think the answer to that question is obvious.